The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 44: Continuance

Chapter 44: Continuance

"Where is my purse!" Anger and frustration courses through her as she searches the whole apartment for the 12th time. Not only is she late for Kensi's appointment, but she also is going to have to reschedule her shift. Walking into the apartment after taking Ozzie for a walk and putting him back in his apartment, Daryl comes in as a shoe hits him in the face.

"Ouch...lose something or practicing yer pitch?" He says as he rubs his forehead.

"I can't find my fucking purse!"

"Okay...let me help you." As she storms around the apartment, Daryl picks up her coat and finds her purse underneath it. "Found it..."

"The fuck! Where was it?"

"Under your jacket..." He cautiously says as he hands it to her. Looking at the calander on the wall he notices the little x in the corner, which can only a mean it's Shark Week (her period).

"Thank you...you have a mark on yer forehead..."

"Well I kinda got hit with a shoe, but it's fine." He brushes it off quickly and she slumps I into a kitchen chair and starts getting upset. "Hey...honey, it's okay. I get hit with far worse on occasion. Come here."

"I missed Kensi's appointment cause I couldn't find my dumb purse and I missed my shift, which means I have to take a personal day with no pay an will have to miss whenever I get scheduled for Kensi's appointment...grrrr."

"Beth, it's okay...Hey, beautiful, everything is fine."

Holding her close he can feel her tense body beneath his grasp.

"You okay, sweetie?"

"I'm late." She blankly says.

"I know, but I can't fix scheduling."

"No Daryl...I'm late late." She says sorrowfully and he doesn't understand until he realizes the truth in the statement.

"Oh...late late. How late late?"

"Almost two weeks." Her eyes fill up with tears and he holds her close.

"Honey, if you are pregnant again, it'll be okay...we can do it." He tries to sound confident, but inside his soul quakes at the thought of having another baby so soon. Pulling her close, he strokes her hair and kisses her temple. He knows this would be it hard for them to deal with two babies at the same time, not to mention she still isn't fully feeling well from the first delivery.

"I don't wanna have another baby right now...Daryl, I can't."

"It's gonna be okay. Yer probably not pregnant. Being late happens."

Picking her up like a defeated child, Daryl carries her to the couch and lays down with her on his chest. Laying her face into his shoulder, she cries harder and he just kisses her neck. And strokes her back.

"Bethy, no matter what happens, we're gonna do out best...okay?"

"Okay..." She sniffs and cries a bit more before looking up at him. "How are you so calm and okay about this?"

"Because I know things could be a lot worse. Baby, if you are pregnant, I know we will do our best to take care of Kensi and baby number 2. I love you so damn much, that I'm not worried."

"It's just too soon..."

"I know, but once more, we don't even know if you are pregnant or not. Just give it a few days before we jump to conclusions." Kissing her lips, he holds onto her behind and pushing her forward a bit more so her body slides against his.

"Yer such a great man..."

"Only cause you made me that way."

They end up taking a nap and wake up later in the even to Kensi's baby monitor going off. Sitting up with a jolt, Beth jumps from the couch an into Kensi's room, where she's crying hysterically.

"Honey, it's okay...yer alright Kensi." Picking her up, she can smell the need of a diaper change. Doing it quickly an efficiently, Beth puts Kensi back into her pumpkin onesie and sits in the rocking chair holding her.

"Hush my darling, yer so sweet,
I love you, like the birds say tweet,
Hush my darling don't you stir,
I love you like the kitty's purr."

"That's one of the strangest songs I've ever heard...sounded beautiful, but still weird." Kissing her forehead, Daryl sits on the foot rest that also rocks and he looks at Kensi, who is smiling up at Beth and playing with a strand of her hair. "Who's the prettiest girl? Kensi!"

"Can you get me a bottle for her please?"

"Sure."

Going to the fridge, Daryl grabs the baby bottle and heats it up until it's perfect for Kensi. Coming back, he hands it to Beth and then sits back on the rocking foot rest.

"She's getting bigger, but still so tiny... How's that possible?"

"I don't know...I just know she's perfect." She feeds the baby and looks at Daryl in his slumped posture. His ripped jeans hang on his body and his baseball t-shirt clings to his muscles.

"If you are pregnant...I know we're gonna be just fine."

"Yeah...but I hope I'm not...is that terrible of me?"

"No...I don't think so. We just have to remember that we're only two people who don't really know how to parent and two babies at once would be complicated."

"Yeah, I just think we need to focus on Kensi until she's old enough to not be coddled so much."

"I wouldn't say she's coddled that much now. For a baby she's pretty independent."

"Yeah...I just wanna wait..I hope we can still wait before jumping into anything major." Thinking about her words, Daryl feels maybe she means it another way too. Shrugging it off, he takes the empty milk bottle and goes to the kitchen to rinse it off.

Life will have to make it's own course for him.